11-year-old wins award for school garden

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Kids can make a difference. Just ask Sydney Newell.

Eleven-year-old Sydney began a project last year that has grown throughout her school and her St. Francis Xavier Parish. Now it has blossomed earning her recognition as a Kohl's Kids Who Care, a program honoring the volunteer initiatives of youngsters across the United States.

It was Sydney's idea to create a garden on land adjacent to the St. Francis Xavier School. There the youngsters grew tomatoes, peppers, watermelon and other produce. The results of their labors were shared with homebound members of the parish.

The project continues, although Sydney explained the wet spring interfered with planting plans of the St. Francis Xavier School's Horticulture Club, which oversees the garden.

"This year we started sort of late because of the rain. We have tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and squash and we might have some okra," Sydney said.

As the harvest gets under way, Sydney and other club members not only take their bounty to the homebound but also will spend time visiting with them.

"It is really fun," said Sydney. "It has helped everybody get to know each other a little better."

While learning more about her fellow parishioners, Sydney said she has also learned a lot about gardening. When the project began, she admitted, she knew little about what was involved in gardening and found it much harder than she thought.

"I couldn't have told you how close corn had to be or how to take care of it. It is fun but a big learning experience," Sydney said. She added weeding, however, is a lot of work.

Sydney and her parents, Holly and Chris Newell, also tend a home garden. she said fresh watermelon is her favorite, but she has also learned to try new things, including okra.

Holly Newell said as the garden project has grown, so has her daughter.

"She is definitely much more aware of other people. She has made a lot of friends probably with some people she had never spoken to before," she said. "She wants to go visit them even before the vegetables are ready."

This fall, when Sydney returns to St. Francis Xavier as a sixth grade student, she and the other club members are planning a fall garden, filled with carrots, lettuce and other cool weather crops. They will continue sharing the produce with parishioners and even with their school cooks, who add the vegetables to the lunch menus.

As part of her recognition from Kohl's, Sydney received a $50 gift card and a certificate acknowledging her efforts that have made a positive impact on the community.

She and the more than 2,100 nationwide winners qualify for the chance to receive a $1,000 regional scholarship for post-secondary education, which Kohl's will award this month. Of the more than 200 regional winners, 10 national winners will each receive a total of $10,000 in scholarships and Kohl's will donate $1,000 to a not-for-profit organization on each national winner's behalf.

Sydney said she has spent part of her gift card and also looked at last year's winning projects.

"I'm up for some competition," she said.